Blood Red Lies TVD sequel to NTB
by StephDaTwilightFreak
Summary: With Stefan gone, Charlie, Damon and Elena must stick together as they try and get him back. But Charlie has problems of her own... she has to decide between her love for Damon and her growing feelings for Jeremy. She continues to live in fear not knowing when Klaus will come for her... And worst of all, Klaus knows secrets from her past she wants no one to find out...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello :D I'm back lol.**

**Just a little recap. No Turning Back loosely followed season 2 but started following the episodes more closely near the end. I own nothing but several characters I have created. My main character Charlie Dubois is a vampire turned in 1764. She is the girlfriend of Damon Salvatore. She has recently found out that Elijah is her biological father, making her part original and literally immortal. Only a bite from a now hybrid Klaus can kill her.**

**Here we go :D**

**Chapter 1**

It had been several months since Stefan had left town with Klaus. It was now summer and despite everything they had to deal with, Charlie and Damon wanted their relationship to work.

It was early morning and Damon and Charlie were taking a bath together. Charlie was sat in front of him, their legs tangled together as Damon absentmindedly traced patterns up and down her spine.

Turning around to face him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the skin just above his collarbone. "I know you're going to hate me but I need to get out. Caroline wants me to meet her in town soon. She needs help choosing an outfit for Elena's party tonight."

Damon held onto her. "Blondie can find her own dress. You're staying right here with me," he breathed, kissing down her shoulder. "I'm not letting you go."

Charlie pulled away from him, though the feel of his lips against her bare skin made it extremely difficult to do so. "I have to. Caroline also needs me to pick up the cake."

Damon frowned at her. "So you're doing all this hard work for Elena's party and you're seriously not going to tell them it's your birthday too?"

"No. And you're not going to either. Otherwise I'll have to kill you," she said with a slight smirk.

She attempted to stand up but Damon grabbed her wrist pulling her back down into the bathtub. Water sloshed over the sides and onto the floor.

"Damon," she glared. "You're making a mess."

"Charlie," he mocked. "I don't care."

"I need to go, Damon." She pulled away from his grip again. "Don't be so immature."

"Wow, somebody's in a bad mood this morning. I know what will change that," he smirked as he ran his fingertips across her thigh.

She slapped his hand away from her leg. "Don't, Damon."

"Okay, grumpy. Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm fine," she huffed.

"No, you're not." He pulled her towards him and gently kissed her mouth.

She smiled slightly against his lips; she had no willpower when he kissed her.

"Just tell them it's your birthday, Charlotte," he said as he pulled back to look at her.

"No. It's Elena's day. Not mine. She needs it. Plus, I'm 262 today. After two and a half centuries I'm a little bored of never officially turning seventeen." She got out of the tub and wrapped a white towel around herself. "It's just a reminder that I'm never going to get any older, I'll always be sixteen."

Damon sighed and got out of the tub too, water and bubbles dripping from his body. "So your bad mood, which you're taking out on me, by the way, is because you're sick of being eternally young and beautiful," he mocked.

She walked back into Damon's bedroom. "You just don't get it, Damon. But I don't expect you to. Not all of us are as happy being dead as you are and that's okay."

Hiding behind the towel, she pulled on a black bra and matching underwear as Damon followed her into the bedroom.

"Besides, it's not just that. Don't you think it's a little weird that me, Elena and Katherine were all born on the same day? That can't be a coincidence, Damon. Anyway, I don't want to worry Elena. She has enough to deal with," she said as she towel dried her hair.

Damon walked up behind her. "Of course I think that's weird. But I wouldn't read too much into it. It's not that surprising really. You all play a part in Klaus' curse and are linked to The Originals in some way. So, let's not think about it right now."

She tossed the towel onto the bed. "I guess you're right," she mused as she ran her fingers through her damp red curls.

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," he said with a smug smile. "Anyway, today is your day. Let's just celebrate your birthday and forget about everything and everyone else."

"I told you, Damon. I don't want to celebrate. I'm doing this for Elena, not me," she said firmly.

Charlie turned around and burst into giggles. He was standing completely naked. Water was dripping down his perfect body. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Like what you see?" he smirked.

"Not at all," she laughed. "I don't encourage a man who has such a big ego."

"Liar," Damon teased. "You want me." He stepped closer to her. "Admit it."

"You're dripping water everywhere, Damon," she said, avoiding his question.

"So?" he said as he leaned towards her.

"So clean it up," she said, pushing him back with her hand against his bare chest. She let her fingers linger on his skin for a few seconds longer.

Just as she took her hand away Damon grabbed it and pulled her even closer to him. "I want you," he whispered.

"I have an idea," she giggled. "Come get me." She instantly disappeared from the room.

Damon smirked. "Seriously, how old are we?" But he grabbed the towel from the bed, wrapping it around himself and raced after her.

He ran into the living room and stopped. "I heard you come in here," he said as he walked around the room.

"Did you really?" she taunted from somewhere behind him.

Damon laughed. "You may be older and faster than me but I'm better at these games than you, Charlotte."

"Is that so?" she mocked. She ran past Damon so fast she was gone again in less than a second. "So, you ready for some fun, Damon?"

"Show me what you've got."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" she giggled.

He raised an eyebrow. "I think that is my question to ask, Miss Dubois."

"Really?"

"Really," he smirked.

"Well then, bring it on."

Suddenly, she shoved him against the wall. She kissed his lips, hard. Then she travelled lower to his neck, collarbone, chest...

Damon pulled her to him kissing her passionately. His lips moulded to hers perfectly. They moved in sync for several moments, before Damon's tongue trailed her lips begging for entrance.

Which she allowed.

They fought for dominance, as they made out in the middle of the living room.

She suddenly yanked away his towel. "Oops," she giggled.

"Oh, my God," a female voice whispered.

They both turned to find Elena standing in the doorway.

"Elena," Charlie breathed, totally mortified.

Damon just smirked at her and Charlie slapped his arm.

"I'm so sorry," Elena said and she quickly turned away from them. "I should have called first."

Charlie picked up Damon's towel and tossed it at him. She saw one of Damon's shirts lying on the chair in front of her; she grabbed it and pulled it over her head.

"You should have, but you're here now so don't worry about it," Charlie said with no emotion.

"I'm so sorry," Elena repeated, feeling embarrassed.

"No harm done, Elena," Charlie said, yet she was a little annoyed Elena had turned up once again with no warning. Since Stefan had left with Klaus, she'd being doing this a lot. Charlie and Damon barely had anytime alone together.

Elena turned back around but still kept one hand over her eyes.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "We're all good, she said once Damon had put his towel back on.

Elena peeked between her fingers just to make sure he was covered up before dropping her hand from her eyes.

Her face became serious as she pulled a note out of her bag. "Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check." She paused for a second. "Memphis."

"Another dead end you mean," Damon mocked, taking the piece of paper. He looked at it for a second before showing it to Charlie.

"You don't know that," Elena said defensively.

Damon walked right up to her. "You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After almost two months this could be the one clue that tells us Stefan is alive and well and living in Graceland."

Elena grabbed the note back. "Fine. I'll go by myself then," she said as she started to walk away.

Damon was instantly in front of her. He took the paper back. "And let Klaus know that you're tracking him? He thinks you're dead, Elena. Let's keep it that way," he said harshly.

Charlie walked in between Damon and Elena. She glared at him. "Don't be so hard on her Damon. She just wants to find the man she loves. I can relate to that," she said smirking slightly.

"It's a new lead, Damon. We haven't had one in a while," Elena said pleading with him.

Damon continued to stare at them, torn about what he should do. He did want to find his brother but he didn't want to put Charlie and Elena in anymore danger. Finding Stefan most probably meant finding Klaus too. He also had no idea how far gone Stefan would be if they did manage to track him down.

Charlie gently touched his arm. "We owe it to Stefan to find him, Damon," she said softly. She turned directly to Elena. "Don't worry. Me and Damon will check it out later. But Damon is right about Klaus, he can't know you're alive. You can't come with us."

Damon sighed, knowing the girls were right. Stefan was his brother after all. "Okay. Me and Charlie will go. If we find anything, we'll call you," Damon told her.

"But..." Elena trailed off. Damon had already walked away.

Charlie gave Elena an apologetic smile. "I'll see you at the party later," she said and she followed Damon leaving Elena alone.

She walked into Damon's room and seconds later heard the front door close as Elena left.

Damon was standing at his open closet; he was clearly concentrating on something. They'd been hiding everything they'd found on Stefan from Elena here.

Charlie went up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You okay?" she asked, kissing his bare shoulder.

"I just don't understand why they've moved on to Tennessee," he mused to himself.

Charlie let go of his waist and stood beside him, her eyes scanning across the maps and newspaper clippings relating to Stefan and Klaus. "That Florida victim we had Andie look into had family in Tennessee," she replied after a few moments.

"Which one, the Pensacola guy?" Damon asked.

She nodded. "That's the one. Andie gave me the address too."

"Okay, guess that's where we're going then." He heading over to the desk, grabbing the half-empty bottle of scotch he'd left there the night before and took a swig.

"Yeah. Who would have thought that your stupid human would turn out to be useful for us," she joked, but it was obvious she was still a little hurt by Damon's betrayal.

Damon sighed and put the bottle down. "Charlotte, we don't have to use Andie. We can compel any human if her being around makes you uncomfortable."

She shook her head. "No. That was just me being stupid. I don't care about her anymore. I almost lost you to a werewolf bite; this is a new start for you and me. All of that is in the past." She walked towards him and kissed him lightly.

"Good," he smiled. "I want this to be a new start for us too."

"Besides, I compelled her to forget everything. She doesn't remember any of the time she spent with you or me biting her," she said with a small smirk.

Damon ran his hands up and down her arms. "So you're okay?"

"I am," she reassured him. "We need her. She's a reporter, she can get the information we need without looking too suspicious. We have to keep Klaus off our trail; he's not going to take much notice of some stupid human."

Damon nodded. "So you up for a road trip then? I'll let you call shotgun," he smirked. "I'm good at multitasking in the car... driving and talking, driving and eating... driving and making out."

She rolled her blue eyes at him. "Sorry, no can do. Have to help out with Elena's party. But I think Alaric might be up for that last one with you," she teased.

"You're hilarious," he said sarcastically.

"I know," she said, sticking out her tongue like a little kid.

Damon walked up to her and gave her a peck on the lips. "I love you," he smiled. "Even when you're a smartass."

"I love you too. Even when you're a dick," she smirked.

Damon laughed lightly before kissing her once more and heading to the bathroom.

After Damon had left with Alaric, Charlie continued getting dressed. She stood in front of the full length mirror examining her appearance.

She wore a high-waisted black miniskirt with a red tank top and black gladiator sandals. Her scarlet curls were loose and natural, her eyes rimmed with black and her lips red. Charlie loved dressing for summer weather.

She grabbed her phone and car keys and left the house.

She picked up the birthday cake and then headed to The Grill to meet up with Caroline. She knew she was a little late but she didn't really care.

"Am I the only one with a watch in this town?" Caroline joked.

"Well, we can't all be perfect, Caroline," she laughed. "But you can't be completely mad at me 'cause I do have the cake," she smiled. "It's in my car."

"Awesome," Caroline grinned. "Well, at least you're here. I'm pretty sure Tyler ditched us."

Charlie rolled her blue eyes. "He's barely ten minutes late, Caroline. We're just meeting for lunch," she said, taking a seat at a table.

Caroline sighed, sitting opposite to her. "I know. It's just..." she trailed off.

"Just what?"

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I heard Damon and Alaric are checking out a Stefan lead today," she said, changing the subject.

Charlie raised a brow. "They are but don't avoid my question. You clearly like Tyler, Care. And it's obvious he likes you. Why can't you both just admit it?"

"And why can't you admit that Elena is preventing you and Damon from having a normal relationship?" she said defensively.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know we all want Stefan back but Elena is always there. You guys are never alone."

"Me and Damon are fine." Charlie shrugged. "She's lost everything, Caroline, and she's my friend. I have to help her get Stefan back."

Caroline paused for several moments. "I know that, she's my friend too. I want her to be happy again. But I'm looking out for you too."

Charlie raised a confused brow. "I don't understand."

"Look, I know Damon loves you and I believe he won't hurt you again but just be careful. Before you returned to Mystic Falls, there was something between him and Elena."

Charlie sighed. "Elena and Damon spending time together... it's harmless. I'm okay with it."

"I don't believe you, Charlie. You care, just admit it. It may be harmless now but Stefan is gone... What if their friendship becomes more? I'm just saying maybe you should mention something to Damon before it's too late."

"And say what? That I'm worried about his friendship with Elena. I'll just sound like a jealous controlling girlfriend."

Caroline sighed. "No you won't. You have every right to be worried. He did cheat on you before with Andie; it's only natural for you to doubt him."

She shook her head. "But I don't doubt him, Caroline. He's sorry for that and I trust him. Elena wouldn't do anything either. She wouldn't hurt me and she loves Stefan."

"Okay," she said, unconvinced.

Charlie then noticed Tyler heading towards them. "Don't mention it again. Tyler's here," she whispered to Caroline before smiling up at Tyler.

"Hey, guys," he said, sitting beside them.

"Hey, Tyler," Caroline grinned.

Charlie smiled to herself; it was so obvious Caroline liked him.

"Something's up with your mother," Caroline said to Tyler.

Tyler raised a brow. "Like what?"

"When I was over yesterday she just kept eyeing me."

Charlie laughed and Caroline glared at her.

"Hey, guys," Jeremy smiled, heading over to their table. He'd been working at The Grill over the summer.

"Did Matt make you switch sections?" Caroline asked.

Jeremy just shrugged his shoulders. He looked directly at Charlie and smirked.

Caroline sighed. "Matt thinks we're dating."

"So does my mother," Tyler added.

"What?" Caroline laughed.

"We're together all the time, it's not a leap."

"That's crazy," Caroline said.

"Right."

"Not that crazy," Charlie said under her breath but she knew Caroline heard her.

Jeremy laughed a little too. And Caroline shot him and Charlie a warning look.

Charlie was about to speak when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw Damon's name on the screen. "Um, excuse me," she said, heading to her car to answer it.

"Hello."

"Charlie, are you alone?" Damon asked.

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Stefan has definitely been to that house in Tennessee."

"You sure?"

"Uh huh. He's in full ripper mode. The bodies... definitely his signature. I've covered his tracks... but maybe it's too late to help him."

Charlie sighed. "Don't say that, we'll help him... we have to."

Damon remained silent a few moments before answering. "Okay. I know I owe him. You're right, it's too early to give up on him."

"Good. So what are you doing now? Can't be late to Elena's party," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry; me and Ric are heading back now. Love you, Charlotte."

"Love you too," she said, before hanging up.

While Elena, Caroline and Tyler continued to prepare for the party, Charlie headed upstairs to get ready. She locked herself in Damon's room, glad to have some time alone. A part of her still wished her friends knew it was her birthday too, but she wanted tonight to be about Elena.

Once dressed, she examined herself in the mirror. She'd decided on a green strapless mini dress. She knew Damon loved the colour on her. She curled her red hair and applied some simple makeup.

She looked down at her dress making sure it was straight. When she looked back up at the mirror, she saw Damon leaning against the doorframe in the reflection.

His face held his signature smirk. "Nice dress," he said.

Charlie smiled, examining her outfit again. "Thanks." She turned her head and looked at him. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and black jeans. "You look nice too."

He just nodded. "I got you something," he said. "And I have to thank you for wearing green; it will go perfect with your dress."

Charlie sighed. "Damon you didn't have to. I don't even want people to know it's my birthday. I certainly don't want presents."

"I know." He walked up to her and dug a small box out of his back pocket. "But don't panic, I didn't buy it... well not recently anyway."

She raised a confused brow.

He smirked a little at her expression. "I bought you this a very long time ago."

He held the little box right in front of her face and opened it. Inside was a beautiful dark green pendant. The same pendant he'd gave her in 1863, the day he'd returned home from the army.

Charlie smiled brightly. "Oh, my God," she whispered as tears started to form in her eyes. "You kept this for almost 150 years," she said as she took the necklace from the box and looked at it in her hand. She ran her fingers across the beautiful green stone.

He shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I kept it in the hope I would find you again someday."

She looked up at him a smiled. "Well, you found me and you're not going to lose me again."

Damon smiled back at her. "Let me put it on for you."

She nodded and passed him the necklace. She turned around and lifted her hair out of the way as Damon wrapped the chain around her neck.

He kissed the top of her shoulder. "Perfect."

She turned back around and gently kissed his lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smirked. "Now, shall we?" he asked as he held out his arm.

Charlie took his arm and they headed downstairs through the packed hallway.

"Happy Birthday, Charlie," several people said to her.

She raised a brow annoyed. "How do people know it's my birthday?" she whispered to Damon.

He just shrugged and continued through the crowds of people. They walked into the living room and the place was so packed with people they couldn't even see the floor.

Caroline came running over to them with a huge smile on her face. "You like?" she asked.

"It's just a party, Caroline," Charlie laughed a little. "Though, I think it might be a bit too much for Elena."

"I know but the party wasn't just for her..." Caroline trailed off seeing Charlie frown slightly.

"Caroline, do you know why people are saying happy birthday to me?" she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I might have overheard you and Damon talking the other day... I didn't mean to go behind your back but you're our friend too, we wanted to celebrate your birthday."

She raised a brow. "Our? So you told Elena and the others?"

"I'm sorry. But you deserve tonight just as much as Elena does," Caroline smiled.

Charlie sighed, there was no point being mad at her friend. "Okay, I forgive you." She held out her arm. "Now, let's party."

Caroline grinned and took her arm as they disappeared into the crowd. They spotted Elena and headed over to her.

"Hey, Elena," Charlie said. "You okay?"

"Hey. I'm okay, I guess." She paused a moment. "Happy birthday, Charlie. I know you didn't want anyone to know and you were worried about me but I'm fine. It's not that surprising, you are Elijah's daughter and connected to Klaus' curse too. I want you to enjoy tonight too. "

Charlie smiled. "Thank you. Happy birthday to you too."

Caroline then noticed Charlie's necklace. "Wow. That looks vintage. I love it."

Charlie nodded, touching the green stone. "Thanks. It is. Damon gave me this in 1863. He's kept it all these years."

"That is so romantic," Caroline sighed.

She smiled and gently touched Caroline's arm. "Well, I'm going to find Damon. See you in a bit," she said to her and Elena, before heading outside.

Damon and Alaric were sitting on the back porch, sharing a bottle of scotch.

"I am every parent's worst nightmare. I'm the chaperon teacher from hell," Alaric groaned.

"I love high school parties," Damon smirked as he saw Charlie heading towards him.

Alaric just shook his head and took a sip of his drink.

"Hello, birthday girl," Damon smiled.

"Drink," Charlie said grabbing his glass of scotch and taking a big gulp. "I may be an eternal teenager but I am far too old for these teen parties," she laughed.

Damon's smirk widened. "Well, trust me. You don't look too old. You're the hottest girl here."

She rolled her eyes at him and downed the end of his drink.

Damon's phone then vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket and groaned. "Andie is stuck at work. Wants me to pick her up."

Charlie took the phone from his hand and read the text. "She's so annoying." She sighed. "But fine. I'll come with you."

"You're not leaving your own party, Charlie," Damon said.

"I don't want to be here anyway. Besides, I still don't trust her to be with you alone."

Alaric looked at them both with an amused smile. "This is such a weird situation."

"Well, it's a complicated dynamic," Damon joked. "We need a human to do our dirty work and Andie being a reporter makes her useful."

Damon's phone beeped again.

"Andie again?" Alaric asked.

"Hold the fort down, will you?" Damon said getting up.

"You mean the fort full of my drunk history students?" Alaric said with a raised eyebrow.

"Drink more. You'll feel less weird," Damon smirked, taking Charlie's hand and heading towards his car.

Damon and Charlie walked into the dark news studio.

"Andie?" he shouted.

Damon's phone then started to ring. It was Elena. He sighed and handed the phone to Charlie not wanting to deal with her.

"Hey, Elena," she answered.

"Charlie, where are you and Damon? I can't find either of you."

"We're still outside," she lied.

"No you're not. I've just been out there. Don't lie to me." She paused a moment. "I saw Damon's closet."

Charlie looked at Damon, knowing he'd heard.

He grabbed the phone from Charlie's hand. "Oh... Oh, I gotta go break up beer pong. Bye, Elena," he said, quickly hanging up before she could reply.

They continued through the studio and found a purse on the floor. Damon bent down to take a closer look. "It's Andie's," he confirmed.

Charlie saw a figure in the shadows and took a small step towards them. Her eyes went wide. "Damon. It's him," she whispered.

Damon got to his feet, and protectively stood in front of her. "Stefan," he glared.

"Hello, Brother," Stefan said with a dark smile.

"You don't write, you don't call," Damon mocked.

Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. "Need you two to stop following me. Causing some problems."

"With who? Klaus? Are we supposed to care what he thinks?" he scoffed.

"What you're supposed to do is let me go."

Charlie looked from one brother to the other, not sure what she should do.

"Saw your latest artwork in Tennessee. Walking a fine line there, my friend. Keep that up and there will be no saving you," Damon stated.

Stefan's dark expression didn't falter. "See the thing is, I don't need saving. I just want you to let me go."

"Nah, we've got a birthday girl at home that's not gonna let us do that."

Stefan nodded. "You know, maybe I haven't made my point." He smirked. "Hey, Andie you still there?"

"Andie?" Damon asked with a raised brow.

"What have you done with her?" Charlie demanded.

Stefan looked up to the ceiling with a dark laugh. They followed his gaze and saw Andie standing up on a high ledge.

"Damon? Charlie? I can't move. He told me that I can't move," she said, fear in her voice.

"It's okay, Andie," Charlie said reassuringly. "Let her go, Stefan," she said, glaring at him.

"Why do you care what happens to her, Charlotte?" he mocked. "Thought you would be glad to get rid of her."

She shook her head. "She doesn't deserve this."

"This is not cool, brother," Damon added.

"Aw, come on! It's a little bit cool. Huh?" Stefan smirked. "Hey, Andie. You can move now."

"No!" they shouted together.

In seconds, Stefan snapped Charlie's neck and grabbed Damon pushing him against the wall so neither of them could save Andie. Her body fell rapidly to the ground with a bang.

Stefan then grabbed Damon by the throat. "I said let me go!" he shouted into his face. A dark smile crept across his lips. "Another tip, brother, tell Charlotte to be careful. Klaus mentioned he may need her soon."

Damon let out a growl and Stefan just laughed.

He loosened his grip on his neck and Damon ran over to Andie. Her body was lifeless, her face bruised badly from the fall. She was dead.

He looked around but Stefan was already gone.

Damon let out a deep breath before picking up Charlie's tiny frame. He left the building without looking back.

Damon walked up the stairs to his bedroom with Charlie's body still in his arms. A few tears had formed in his eyes, though he tried to hide them. He'd realized his brother was gone tonight. He'd hurt Charlie and killing Andie confirmed it too. There was no reason to continue going after him. Stefan was no longer the brother he knew.

He opened his door and lay Charlie on the bed. He looked up and saw Elena. She was standing in the middle of the room with police reports and news articles in her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Damon groaned.

"What happened to Charlie?" she asked, worried for her friend.

"Stefan snapped her neck, she won't be out much longer," he said with no emotion.

Her eyes went wide; she didn't want to believe Stefan had done that. "So, you found him? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?" Elena demanded.

"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night," Damon sighed.

Elena walked up to him. "All summer, every single time I came to you or Charlie with a lead, you both made me feel like an idiot for having hope," she snapped.

"You were an idiot. We all were," Damon said as he easily pushed past her.

She stood in front of him and stopped him. "Please, tell me what you know?"

"I know you need to get back to your party, Elena," he said, walking around her and back towards the bed.

"We're supposed to be in this together," she said as she turned around to look at him. Why didn't you tell me you've been tracking Klaus' victims?"

"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena. They're Stefan's!"

"What?" she stuttered.

"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard," Damon exclaimed.

"No. You're wrong," Elena replied.

"I've seen it happen before," he said as he walked up to her. "He's flipped the switch, full blown ripper. I mean, look what he did to Charlie tonight," he yelled, pointing to her body.

"Stop it, Damon," Elena begged.

"No, you stop it, Elena! Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop! Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime," Damon shouted and stormed out of the room.

It was now late, all the guests had left and Charlie and Damon were finally alone.

She showered and changed into one of Damon's black t-shirts and checked pyjama shorts.

She sat on his bed and sipped a glass of blood. It had been a long day. Her head was spinning. She looked down at her green necklace and smiled a little. "Some birthday," she sighed to herself.

She then heard a loud bang coming from down the hallway. She put down the glass and in a blur appeared in the doorway of Stefan's room.

Damon was pushing over furniture, breaking things, literally tearing the room apart. She quietly watched him, tears forming in her eyes. He picked up a guitar, ready to break it but suddenly stopped. His eyes now glazed with tears. He stumbled forward and leaned against a chair.

Charlie cautiously approached him. "Damon?" she whispered, gently touching his shoulder and turning him to face her.

He didn't answer. Charlie slowly took the guitar from his hand and pulled him into her arms. Holding him tightly, he didn't stop her as his own arms wrapped around her too. She knew he was fighting off his emotions but he didn't stop her from comforting him.

After a few silent moments, she pulled back from the embrace and looked up at him. His glassy blue eyes stared down at her.

Charlie then looked down at his lips and leaned forward, kissing him softly. "I love you," she said softly.

Damon smiled a little and ran his fingers over her green pendant. "I love you too." He looked back up at her. "Stefan said Klaus may want you soon."

She grabbed his hand tightly in her own. "Then we'll deal with it. And if I had to, I would leave with him to protect you all."

"I know you would." He nodded. "And I would do whatever it takes to get you back."

She bit her lip. "I know you would."

Damon suddenly pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. He pulled back and smirked. "It's still your birthday and we finally have the house to ourselves."

She raised a playful brow and kissed him. In seconds they were back in Damon's room and fell onto his bed, their lips not parting once.

**And there is the first chapter. I've already started on the next one and will try and have it up sometime next week :D**

**What do you think Klaus wants Charlie for?**

**Any ideas you have for the season 3 storyline just let me know :D**

**And I hope you enjoyed it :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello :D I'm back. **

**So sorry it's taken me a while to update. Life gets busy sometimes and I also had a bit of writers block but I'm back on track.**

**I decided to do something completely different with Charlie in this chapter than the episode, so I hope you like it.**

**Last chapter was Charlie and Elena's birthday. **

**Damon's present was the green necklace he gave her back in the 1800s.**

**Stefan killed Andie and snapped Charlie's neck.**

**Damon and Charlie are going strong.**

**Here we go :D**

**Chapter 2**

The next morning Damon stood at his closet ripping down every map and newspaper clipping they had on Stefan and Klaus. Charlie sat on the edge of his bed frowning at him, the bed sheet wrapped around her body.

They both heard the front door open and seconds later footsteps coming up the stairs. Charlie let out a sigh knowing who it would be.

Elena silently walked into the room.

"Just can't stay away, can you?" Damon said, closing the closet door.

Elena stood just inside the doorway and put her hands in her pockets. "You've both been ignoring me," she replied. "I've called all morning."

"Yeah well, yesterday was a weird day, Elena. Found out we've lost Stefan, Andie is dead and me and Charlie just needed some time alone. We are a couple after all," he mocked.

Charlie shot Damon a warning look; she didn't want him to be too hard on Elena.

Elena paused a few moments taking in his words. "Wait... Andie is dead? Did Stefan... kill her?" she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Happy Birthday, Elena. Not only did Stefan snap Charlie's neck but he killed Andie too. Cake?" He walked past her, knocking her shoulder as he headed towards the bed.

"He called me," she said quietly, her back still to him.

Charlie's eyes went wide. Damon looked over to her then back to Elena. "What?" they said together.

"He called me," she repeated and turned to look at them. "Last night."

"What did he say?" Charlie asked, a little curious.

"He didn't say anything… but I know it was him. Sheriff Forbes traced the call's origin for me, it came from Tennessee… it was Stefan," she said, sure of herself.

"Where he's binge drinking on the country folk." He walked past her again, grabbing several maps and news articles and headed to the fire place. "Stefan's gone, Elena." He threw the papers into the fire and grabbed the matches from the top. He turned around and gave her a fake smile. "And I don't mean geographically."

"Damon, don't," Charlie warned. Though she agreed with him, there was no need to hurt Elena so much. Charlie stood up from the bed, holding the sheet around herself. "Stefan is gone, Elena. I'm sorry but I've seen it for myself. His eyes were so dark and lifeless last night."

"If he was gone, he wouldn't have called," Elena said defensively. "Forget I said anything," she said before storming out of the room. She headed downstairs and a few seconds later the front door slammed shut.

Charlie silently stood behind Damon watching him burn the newspaper clippings.

Damon sighed knowing she was behind him. "Elena needs to realise he's not coming back," he said, still staring at the fire.

"Damon, what if the situation was reversed. You were the one with Klaus and I was in Elena's shoes. Stefan wouldn't give up on you. And neither would I."

He turned to face her. "So why did you say that to Elena? You were there last night, Charlotte. He killed Andie without flinching. He snapped your neck. My brother is gone."

"I know I was there. I saw how dark Stefan's eyes were. That's why I said it. But she's human, Damon, with human emotions and feelings. We shouldn't expect her to give up hope just because we're vampires."

Damon didn't answer and turned back to the fire, tossing the last of the paper into the flames.

Charlie sighed and walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around him. Damon automatically wrapped his arms around her too.

"I know deep down, you haven't given up hope either," she said looking at him.

His blue eyes looked down at her and he kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad I have you," he whispered into her hair.

She buried her head into his shoulder, breathing in his cologne. "And I'm not going anywhere," she said and gently placed a kiss on his neck.

Damon pulled the sheet from her body, letting in fall to the floor. He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow. She was now wearing just her underwear.

Charlie laughed and stood up on her tippy toes, gently kissing his mouth. She then pulled him with her over to the bed, making them fall onto it. She smirked as she sat on top of him. She ran her fingers up and down his chest.

Damon looked up at her with a playful smile. "Really, Charlie?" he laughed.

She nodded, biting her lip. "Really... unless you don't want me, that is?" She pretended to pout and got off him. She lay down beside him and looked up at the ceiling.

He smirked at her. "Aww, Charlie, don't pout." He watched her and laughed, shaking his head. "You're a little old to be doing that."

She turned her head and smiled at him. "I'm not pouting," she chuckled and lay against his chest.

Damon rolled his eyes and laughed, still watching her. "You are so pouting."

"Are not," she grinned, nibbling along his ear.

"And now you're teasing," he laughed. "Never saw that one coming, Miss Charlotte."

She smirked and continued to nibble along his neck. "Why... don't you like it, Mr Salvatore?" she asked innocently.

He bit his lip lightly and raised a brow. "Do I have to answer that?"

Charlie smiled seductively and kissed his neck then along his jaw. She slowly sat up and got on top of him again, leaning down and pressed her lips against his.

Damon kissed her back firmly. She intensified the kiss, running her hands up and down his chest. She pulled him up to her, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head.

"Kinky," he laughed teasing her.

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up and kiss me."

Damon laughed not commenting this time. He smirked before kissing her firmly and biting her lip gently. She moaned slightly and let her tongue trace along his bottom lip, her fingers tangled in his hair.

His hands moved across her bare back, his lips moving urgently against her own. She gripped his arms, pulling herself tighter to him. Damon then rolled over her, pressing her into the mattress, their lips barely parting once.

He moved his mouth across her jaw and stopped just below her ear. "I love you," he whispered into the hollow of her throat, before kissing down her neck and chest...

New Orleans, June 1868

It was almost closing time and Charlotte was cleaning the bar. She'd worked in the small tavern for over four years now. This place was her home. Mabelle walked over to the bar with her arms full of dirty glasses. She placed them down, and pushed her blonde hair out of her face.

"He's looking at you," she grinned.

Charlotte rolled her blue eyes. "Don't start this again, May. He's not looking at me."

She smirked. "Is so. Just like he has done every night for the past two weeks." She headed behind the bar and started to clean the glasses.

She glanced over at the man. He was attractive with dark eyes and dark messy hair. But he had a strange vibe about him. He caught her looking and smirked. She quickly looked away.

Charlotte shrugged. "It doesn't matter if he is anyway, I'm not over..."

"Damon," Mabelle finished for her. "I get it. You've said the same thing a million times before."

She sighed. "Yeah... Damon." She automatically clutched the ring around her neck.

Mabelle gently touched her arm. "Well, kick stalker guy out and lock up. I'm going to bed." She headed to the stairs. "Night, Charlotte."

She barely nodded. It was the same routine every night; the mysterious man was the last customer. Mabelle went to bed and left Charlotte alone to deal with him.

She tossed the cloth down on the bar. She made sure her dark blue dress was straight and reluctantly headed over to the man. "It's time to leave. I'm locking up for the night," she said, avoiding eye contact with him.

The man titled his head at her. "Don't we have the same conversation every night, Miss Charlotte? The night is still young, please sit, have a drink with me," he said with a smug smile. Charlotte had to admit his British accent was sexy but he was far too arrogant for her liking.

She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip. "And I give you the same answer every night. No," she mocked. "Just leave. I'm not interested in fake flattery."

His smirk widened. "Who said anything about it being fake? You're a beautiful girl, Miss Charlotte." He pointed to the chair beside him. "One drink. Please."

Charlotte sighed. "Fine. One drink. You have been in here every day and night for over a week now. I guess I have to give you credit for being persistent," she half-joked.

She headed back to the bar and filled two glasses with beer. Then sat on the chair beside him.

"Thank you, love," he said before taking a sip of the drink. "So your accent... It's French, right?" he asked with a smirk.

"Um... yeah. Though I've been living in America for a few years now." She took a sip from her own glass, attempting to hide her face. "So, what brings you to New Orleans?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

He smiled, though something about it seemed off to Charlotte. "I'm here doing a job for my brother."

She nodded. "What type of job?"

His smile darkened; Charlotte began to feel a little uncomfortable but she tried not to show it.

"Just keeping an eye on something for him," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "He lost track of it for a while... our older brother wants it and we want to make sure he doesn't find it."

She gave him a half-smile before hiding behind her cup again.

"Relax, darling. You seem a little nervous of me," he teased, gently moving her hand so he could see her face. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She shook her head and forced a smile. "I'm fine."

He downed the end of his drink before slamming the glass down onto the table. "Good then." He leaned towards her and put a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "I know what you are," he whispered against her neck.

She quickly pulled away from him and got to her feet. "Um, excuse me?"

He stood up too and smirked. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You see, I'm a vampire too," he said, watching her reaction.

She raised a brow, trying to hide her fear. It had been a few years since she'd faced another vampire. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

"Now that would be telling, darling." He took a small step towards her. "I don't want my identity known. And I've been told I can't compel you."

"What? By who?" The only person who knew that was Brice...

He took another step, his face now a mere inch from hers. "Just look after yourself, Miss Charlotte. I promise you won't see me again but remember, I'll always be watching. And if you do anything stupid, I will kill Mabelle and her parents." He kissed her cheek gently. "Got it?"

Before Charlotte could reply he'd disappeared from the tavern, leaving her alone and confused...

Present Day

Charlie woke up to an empty bed. She sat up, holding the covers over herself. She took a deep breath. She hadn't thought about the vampire from New Orleans in a very long time.

But thinking about him now, she wondered if he'd known who she really was. That she was Elijah's daughter and her part in Klaus' curse. Why else would he want her to look after herself? He'd said he was working for his brother... was it possible he'd meant Elijah or Brice? And he said he couldn't compel her, that had to mean he was an Original... But he did keep his promise; she'd never seen him again.

She shook away the thought. What did it matter now anyway? Klaus was a hybrid and both Brice and Elijah were daggered along with the rest of their family. If that man was their other sibling, maybe he was now daggered too.

She stood up and pulled on Damon's shirt from the floor. She smiled slightly seeing a note on the nightstand beside her. She picked up the note and read it.

"Charlotte, Alaric called. Elena's being an idiot. She's gone looking for Stefan in werewolf mountains on a damn full moon. I won't be long. Damon."

Charlie sighed a little. Elena again...

She looked over at the alarm clock. It was almost noon. She showered and changed into a white lace dress and brown ankle boots. Her loose curls bright red against the white material.

She decided to head to the Grill. Jeremy now worked there and they needed a catch up. She needed a distraction from her own thoughts right now. She didn't want to think about Elena and Damon being alone in the mountains.

She hadn't really spoken to Jeremy lately, things were good with Damon and she didn't want anything to ruin that. But the few times they had talked, something about Jer just didn't seem right...

Charlie was meeting Jeremy on his lunch break. She waited by the bar for him.

"Coffee," she smiled lightly to the bartender. A few seconds later he placed a coffee cup in front of her. She gave him another small smile then glanced around the room wondering where Matt and Jeremy were.

She felt someone sit beside her but didn't take too much notice of him.

She raised the coffee to her lips, ready to take a sip when a hand stopped her, pushing the cup back down to the bar. She turned towards him annoyed and realised it was Tyler.

"What?" she asked confused.

"I wouldn't drink that if I was you," he said matter-of-factly.

Charlie raised a brow. "Why?"

"My mom and the Sheriff have been making Matt lace it with vervain. He told me himself."

She picked _the cup_ up again and sniffed it… She cringed slightly at the _smell_, quickly putting it back down. How had she missed that? "Great," she muttered, pushing the coffee away from her.

"Yeah..." Tyler sighed. They sat in silence for several moments before he spoke again. "I was the one who told Elena the location of the werewolves in Tennessee. I'm sorry. I know Damon has gone after her."

Charlie glanced at him. "Not your fault, Ty. She would have found out one way or another. Elena, she's stubborn."

He nodded. "Well, I'll see you around," he said, getting to his feet.

She smiled a little. "Yeah... And, um, good luck with the full moon tonight."

"Thanks." Tyler returned her smile slightly and walked away.

Charlie decided not to risk ordering another drink. She was bored, and began tapping her blue painted fingernails against the counter. Suddenly, her ears caught Matt and Jeremy talking in the storeroom. She closed her eyes, concentrating on their words. The conversation seemed serious.

"You remember what we talked about last night, how I've been seeing things?" Jeremy said.

"Honestly, Jer, last night is kind of a blur."

"Well, I saw her again. I saw Vicki." Charlie's eyes shot open. Vicki was Matt's dead sister... right? Damon had turned her then Stefan killed her.

"Why are you... why are you telling me this? You're dating a witch. Why don't you tell her?" It was obvious from the tone of Matt's voice he was feeling uneasy about the situation.

"Tell Bonnie that she brought me back to life and now I'm seeing my dead ex girlfriend? We don't need a witch, okay? There are examples all over the Internet. We need personal items, and it works best when a family member tries to make contact."

"No, no, no. We're... We're not contacting my sister," Matt said sternly. He clearly wasn't happy about any of this.

Charlie decided it was time to intervene. She got up from the bar and headed straight into the storeroom not bothering to knock or caring who saw her. She stood in the doorway, watching them.

"I saw her, Matt. She asked for help. You were the one she loved the most. If anyone's going to help me connect to her, it's you..." Jeremy trailed off, finally noticing Charlie.

They both tried to smile but that only made them look more suspicious and guilty. They were obviously not expecting anyone to walk in on them. "Um, hi..." Jeremy said quietly.

"Hi..." she mocked, crossing her arms. "Well, what's going on?"

Jeremy sighed. "You've heard everything, haven't you?"

"If you mean the part about you seeing dead people? Then yes, I have."

Matt glanced between them both. "I'm gonna go," he said awkwardly. "Talk later, Jer." And without another word, Matt left.

Charlie watched Matt leave then turned her attention back to Jeremy. "So?"

"You know I died right? And Bonnie used magic to bring me back to life."

"Yeah... you told me that months ago."

He dropped his gaze to the ground. "The thing is, ever since I came back I've been seeing... things."

She frowned slightly. "You mean ghosts?"

He barely nodded.

Charlie gently touched his arm. "Jer... Why didn't you tell me? I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "I couldn't exactly tell you, you're always with Damon. And lately everything has been about getting Stefan back. I didn't want anyone to worry about me... or think I'm crazy."

"No one would think that. Your best friends are vampires and witches." She sighed. "I'm sorry about that too. I don't mean to shut you out... it's just... I lo..."

He turned away from her. "It's fine, Charlie. I get it. You love him. And you don't want to mess that up."

She bit her lip. "Jer..."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I'll see you around." Before Charlie could say anything else Jeremy stormed out of the room.

Charlie watched him leave and frowned. She took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. She didn't mean to shut Jeremy out, she wanted to be his friend but things were complicated. It was hard being around him when she knew he was in love with her.

She left the Grill and got into her car, not stopping until she reached the woods. She just wanted to be alone and away from town. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Things were messed up.

She knew Damon and Elena shared some kind of feelings... didn't matter if those feelings were innocent or not, they still felt something. She knew Jeremy loved her, she felt guilty for kissing him and poor Bonnie had no idea about any of this.

Stefan was gone, and maybe there was no getting him back. Klaus was still out there, she had no idea when he would come for her. And Elijah... he was her father, he'd betrayed her and yet she still wanted to help him. She knew Klaus had hidden his daggered body somewhere... she had to get him back.

Charlie took a deep breath and closed her eyes tighter, trying to block out her thoughts... thinking about him and only him. How simple life was when she was alone with Damon. Just being together. Nothing else mattered but the man in her arms and how much she loved him...

Suddenly, she heard a faint buzzing sound. She groaned, slowly opening her eyes. She blinked a few times. It was now dark out... she must have fallen asleep.

She realised the sound was her phone ringing. She glanced at the screen seeing an unknown number.

She watched the phone for several moments before deciding to answer it. "Hello," she said, a little unsure.

"Miss me?" a smug voice said... a voice she instantly recognised.

"Katherine?" she sighed.

"Who else?" she scoffed. "And please don't say my dull as dishwater doppelganger. I've heard that one before." Charlie could practically see Katherine rolling her eyes.

"What do you want, Katherine? Where are you? You've been gone for months," she demanded.

"So many questions, Miss Dubois. Relax," she mocked.

"What do you want?" she repeated.

"I'm homesick. What have I missed?"

"Well, Stefan's still Klaus' prisoner and Elena still thinks she can save him and no one's thought about you since you left," Charlie smirked slightly.

"And what about you? Worried Elena's going to steal your boyfriend now Stefan is gone?" she laughed.

Charlie didn't answer.

After a few moments silence, Katherine laughed again. "I was just messing, Charlotte. Don't worry. Mr Salvatore loves you. He always has."

She sighed. "Just tell me why you called, Katherine. I don't have time for this."

"Okay... okay, relax." She paused a moment. "I'm guessing you haven't given up on Stefan yet. Elena is too stubborn and Damon loves him too much."

Charlie nodded. "We haven't given up. We just don't know where he is."

"Well that's a shame..." Katherine teased.

"You know, don't you?" Charlie instantly guessed.

"A hybrid who wants me dead and his sidekick who's off the rails? Seriously, Charlie, I couldn't be further away."

"Which means you know exactly where they are."

Katherine sighed. "Okay fine, you got me. Klaus pitched a fit once his hybrids didn't work in Tennessee. Now he's looking for some answers..."

"Where? How do you know that?" she questioned.

"Spend 500 years running and there will be a few people along the way looking out for you."

She raised a brow. "Is that what you're doing? Looking out for Stefan? For me?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm conflicted." Charlie could hear the smirk in her voice.

"So where are they?"

"If you want to know you're going to have to trust me. We'll have to work together."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Why should I trust you after everything you've done?"

"Okay, so you don't have to trust me... But you have to admit, I'm good at what I do?" she said smugly.

"Which is?" Charlie mocked.

"Plotting, being devious, getting exactly what I want. All you have to do is say yes and be my partner in crime," she giggled.

Charlie thought about this for a few moments before answering. "Okay fine. Where am I meeting you?"

"Chicago..." And without another word, Katherine hung up.

Charlie leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. Could she really trust Katherine?

Suddenly, her phone rang again. This time it was Damon. She decided not to answer. She couldn't let him find out about Katherine and he would know from her voice that she was hiding something from him.

After a few moments she received a voicemail message. "Charlie, where are you? I'm home. Elena is safe. Stefan is gone... but he can be saved. Please call me when you get this."

She bit her lip, she hated lying to him but she had to do this. She had to find Klaus... finding Klaus meant finding Elijah.

She clutched her green pendant and took a deep breath.

Instead of calling him back, she wrote a simple text message. 'I have to do something. Alone. Don't worry. I love you.'

She pressed send and turned off her phone. Without thinking about her decision again, she started the car and drove off...

**And there was chapter 2 :D**

**I'm going to try and go no more than two weeks between updates from now on.**

**Who did you think the man was in the flashback?**

**What do you think of Charlie going to Chicago with Katherine?**

**Do you think she'll meet Stefan and Klaus there?**

**And will Damon find her?**

**Any ideas you have for the season 3 storyline just let me know :D**

**And I hope you enjoyed it :D**


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